Always frustrating to see this happen. Battle Chasers: Nightwar [Official Site], an RPG I was quite excited about has silently removed all mentions of Linux support from both Steam and GOG.

It's due for release in a few hours and I've seen zero communication from the developer as to what's going on. I get that some developers get swept up in releases and it's of course a very busy time, but if you remove a platform, you should communicate to your customers what's going on. This is especially problematic since both Steam and GOG have had the game available for pre-order.

People have noticed too, with this Steam thread popping up around 15 hours ago with no reply from a developer yet. I've sent a Tweet and an email to the developer in the hopes of getting it cleared up.

Honestly, if you did pre-order it I recommend cancelling it as soon as possible until the situation is cleared up. I never recommend pre-ordering anything, as issues like this are surprisingly common.

I'm very sorry we couldn't get the Linux version ready by launch. We're a small indie developer, and we just didn't have the resources to get it in a state we felt players would be happy with by launch.

We had asked our publisher to pull down the Linux platform last week from Steam and GoG, but unfortunately it didn't happen until yesterday. If you preordered hoping to play Linux day one, please feel free to get a refund. Let us know if you have any trouble there and we'll help get it sorted out.

We are working on the Linux version and hope to have it in decent shape in the next few weeks.

QuoteWe are working on the Linux version and hope to have it in decent shape in the next few weeks.

Let me propose a fun game.
They used statement "few weeks". For me few means from 2 to 7, maybe 8. But let's assume that we are kind and we say that we wait 10 weeks to verify what they say.
It looks like 2 weeks ago their were certain that they will provide Linux version at launch. So 10 weeks more sounds like a super huge window. Let's revisit their steam page at 13.12.2017 and verify if they are worth to receive Linux gamers money or should we forget about them and avoid any game they develop.

I'm all against pre-ordering, but I'm all for kickstarting if you know the company and want to support an indie studio. I haven't backed that many projects, but those I have delivered on their promises, for the most part. Kingdom Come couldn't promise Linux at launch, so when I asked I got a refund.

14[...] pre-ordering has like no incentive other than that little feeling you get when you spend money.

The incentive should be to give the developer money he needs to finish the game. Things like crowdfunding or early access shouldn't exist. Pre-ordering guarantees you'll receive the product or your money back and is, IMO, the only acceptable form of paying ahead.

14[...] buy games on sale even if we don't have time to play the games we already own. What does this all sound like to me? Addiction.

There's absolutely no point in pre-ordering, especially when using digital distribution such as Steam. It doesn't benefit you as a consumer one bit and it's always risky.

Sadly too late for that now.
Pre-orders , season pass (basically DLC Pre-order) , microtransactions in full price games , loot crates etc.
These things are becoming more and more ubiquitous and people are getting used to them. If you call them out you look like the bad guy.

I'm resolute to be cynical and watch the world burn

You are right, people just get used to this tactics. You don't even get the whole game on release. Because there is many missing things, that are added like DLC and the price is sometimes higher than the original game. The picture bellow is sadly accurate.

Frankly I don't think I understand why people still buy games at release. Between game-breaking bugs and day-1 patches, public release serving as additional playtesting, free content updates and paid DLCs released in a matter of weeks, it's almost like trying to watch a movie before they finish printing the DVD. For all its convenience, the Internet as a marketplace and content delivery medium has made the gaming industry lazy with quality control and complacent in its ability to keep extracting money from people in small doses. Then, for us, you have the added risk of unplayable or delayed Linux versions making me extra wary.

Between that, attractive discounts that always come within a year and already having a backlog of games, the only games I've gotten day-1 in recent memory are those I have crowdfunded.

There's absolutely no point in pre-ordering, especially when using digital distribution such as Steam. It doesn't benefit you as a consumer one bit and it's always risky.

Sadly too late for that now.
Pre-orders , season pass (basically DLC Pre-order) , microtransactions in full price games , loot crates etc.
These things are becoming more and more ubiquitous and people are getting used to them. If you call them out you look like the bad guy.

I'm resolute to be cynical and watch the world burn

You are right, people just get used to this tactics. You don't even get the whole game on release. Because there is many missing things, that are added like DLC and the price is sometimes higher than the original game. The picture bellow is sadly accurate.

Frankly I don't think I understand why people still buy games at release. Between game-breaking bugs and day-1 patches, public release serving as additional playtesting, free content updates and paid DLCs released in a matter of weeks, it's almost like trying to watch a movie before they finish printing the DVD. For all its convenience, the Internet as a marketplace and content delivery medium has made the gaming industry lazy with quality control and complacent in its ability to keep extracting money from people in small doses. Then, for us, you have the added risk of unplayable or delayed Linux versions making me extra wary.

Between that, attractive discounts that always come within a year and already having a backlog of games, the only games I've gotten day-1 in recent memory are those I have crowdfunded.

I don't know how we'd manage this, but if we could get gamers as a group to just stop buying games that aren't 'game of the year' editions that include all the DLC, then I'm sure publishers would get the hint. But we'd need some serious numbers (millions) of people to do this.

This happens at such regular intervals that I think we should approach the developers and interview them about what are the major obstacles in linux development as they see them. Perhaps there's something that could be done to make things easier for them.

dilavniThis happens at such regular intervals that I think we should approach the developers and interview them about what are the major obstacles in linux development as they see them. Perhaps there's something that could be done to make things easier for them.

So much this. I raised this in the steam everspace thread a while ago. If we can help eliminate some common blockers maybe we'd get quicker and more releases.

slaapliedjeI don't know how we'd manage this, but if we could get gamers as a group to just stop buying games that aren't 'game of the year' editions that include all the DLC, then I'm sure publishers would get the hint. But we'd need some serious numbers (millions) of people to do this.

I'm just waiting for other gamers to do the same. I've been so sickened by many practices in the gaming industry that there aren't that many games that I'm willing to support.

While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on Patreon or Liberapay. We have no adverts, no paywalls, no timed exclusive articles. Just good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

We also accept Paypal donations and subscriptions! If you already are, thank you!